On 5 August, Mr. Alam was arrested in his house in Dhaka, hours after a news outlet released an interview with him on the student demonstrations. He appeared before court the following day, where he reportedly showed signs of torture. Mr. Alam has been placed on remand on charges of spreading propaganda and false information against the Government.

“The arrest and alleged ill-treatment of Mr. Alam is extremely worrying and takes place in a general context of a crackdown against young students and others calling for better public governance, reforms and justice in Bangladesh, including media workers and other civil society,” said the experts.

“We urge the relevant authorities to immediately release Mr. Alam and to take effective measures to have all allegations of torture investigated promptly, effectively and impartially. We also urge them to ensure a safe and enabling environment for media workers,” they said.